Spring Thaw 2024 – Part 1

Friday, March 22 began with excitement for the cadets of 3045 Army Cadet Corps.  There were heading to Whitehorse, Yukon, to participate in a weekend activity called Spring Thaw 2024.  Cadets & staff from other cadet corps in the territories would also be attending.  Additionally, I was granted leave from my civilian employer to attend. 

Whitehorse Cadet Training Centre (CTC), also known as Boyle Barracks, named after the late Colonel John Boyle, was chosen as the site of Spring Thaw. 

Everyone in the Northwest Region was glad Spring Thaw was granted the necessary budget & resources to be organized.  I think the last time territorial cadet corps came together was before the COVID-19 pandemic.  The objectives of Spring Thaw 2024 were: bring cadets & staff across the North together for a weekend activity; have everyone participate in variety of indoor & outdoor activities & sports; and promote the goals of the cadet program.

Cadet corps in the Canadian territories can’t come together often to do activities & trips because of isolation, vast distances apart, the high cost of air travel, and lack of roads.  Yukon & the Northwest Territories have highways that connect to the national road network, but Nunavut does not.  Air travel is the main way to get around, and the airlines charge an “arm & a leg” because they hold monopolies.  A huge chunk of money is set aside by the Department of National Defence to transport northern cadets to activities & events all over Canada and beyond.  This must continue so that northern youth have the same opportunities and experiences as southern youth.

The organizers booked a charter plane to pick us up and fly us to Whitehorse.  My cadets & I arrived at the airport at 11:15am.  The Summit charter plane arrived at noon.  The passengers onboard were instructed to disembark and wait inside the terminal while the plane was refueled.  The passengers were cadets & staff from Naujaat.  Introductions and discussions filled the terminal.  A Summit employee manually checked in the Arctic Bay cadets & officer (me).  Finally, we were given permission to board the plane.  Everyone found their seats and the charter took off into the Arctic sky, bound for Whitehorse.

I was surprised the flight was direct.  I thought we would stop somewhere along the way to pick up more cadets, but that wasn’t the case.  The flight was long, but we made it without delay.  The pilots parked the plane on the tarmac near the airport’s fire department building.  We disembarked onto the tarmac and were escorted towards a parking lot on the other side of the security fence.  Our luggage was delivered several minutes later. 

A large black Chrono Aviation plane landed and parked in the same spot the Summit plane used to be.  Many cadets & officers disembarked and made there way to where we were standing.  They had come from the larger communities like Iqaluit, Rankin Inlet, and Yellowknife, because their airports can accommodate jet planes.  A lot of greetings & introductions were made before everyone was instructed to make their way to the main airport terminal to catch the buses.  Everyone carried/pulled their luggage. 

The buses were coach buses.  I thought it would be school buses.  The organizers spared not expense.  We boarded our assigned buses and were driven to Whitehorse CTC.

We removed our luggage from the bus after it arrived at the camp.  I think the last time I was here was in 2019.  One of the administration officers introduced themselves and instructed my cadets to line up inside the Headquarters (HQ) Building for registration.  The major-in-charge greeted each cadet, checked their name on a list, asked them a few questions, and then assigned them accommodations.  She then assigned me a bedroom in the HQ.  All out-of-town adult staff were assigned bedrooms in HQ.  My cadets collected their belongings and proceeded to their assigned barracks.  Male & female cadets sleep in separate barracks.  All participating cadets went through registration and barracks assignment. 

Cadets set up the mess hall with tables and chairs for dinner.  The major-in-charge held a welcome briefing in the mess hall before the food arrived.  Adult staff & senior cadets would receive their schedules and assignments for the weekend after dinner.  Dinner was catered by Domino’s Pizza.  There were a lot of toppings to choose along with a variety of drinks, including pop and Gatorade.  I think everyone enjoyed dinner because there were a lot of empty pizza boxes when it was over.

Cadets enjoyed free time until it was time for lights out.  While that was happening, officers & civilian staff had a meeting with the major.  A round robin of various sports & activities had been organized and cadets would be divided into groups after breakfast the following morning.  We were each assigned a station and would run it for the duration of the weekend.  Senior cadets would assist us.  (More on this in the next post).  The major told us where we would find our supplies.  Despite being a little nervous, I was confident I would run my station without issue.    

                                                                To Be Continued . . .